Relationship Between Participative Decision-Making Within an Organization and Employees' Cognitive Flexibility, Creativity, and Voice Behavior

The existing literature predominantly examines the direct effects of participative decision-making, often overlooking the mechanisms and processes that mediate or moderate its outcomes. This study addresses this gap by investigating the impact of participative decision-making on employees' cognitive flexibility, creativity, and voice behavior. Specific contradictions and gaps in prior research are highlighted, particularly the limited understanding of how these variables interact. This study is grounded in self-determination theory and incorporates a research model that examines these relationships through the mediating role of cognitive flexibility. Data were collected from 310 employees in South Korean firms and analyzed using structural equation modeling, providing robust empirical evidence. Key findings demonstrate that participative decision-making significantly enhances cognitive flexibility, which, in turn, mediates its impact on creativity and voice behavior. Direct effects were more pronounced for creativity, while cognitive flexibility played a stronger mediating role in fostering voice behavior. These results underscore the theoretical and practical importance of participative decision-making in fostering innovation and adaptability within organizations. Practical implications for managers and policymakers include fostering a participative culture to enhance employee creativity and voice behavior. Finally, this study discusses limitations, such as reliance on self-reported data, and provides directions for future research.